On the cusp...

[DominionsFan]

Lads, some old users here should moderate themselves. I find some replies a bit too harsh. I think that there is a more intelligent way to discuss in this thread.

[kimmitt]

Yeah, my tone was a bit grumpy; I was disappointed by the demo for Dom3.

I agree that the map generation is probably not a big deal; it just shocked me with the 3 minutes it took to do so. But the turn processing time means that I just can't justify buying the game to myself. I spent more time watching turns process than playing them, and this on the first few turns of a 5-person game in the demo.

My machine's a 2 GHz with 768 MB of RAM; my graphics aren't the best, but my problem isn't with graphics processing.

Anyways, I played the heck out of Dom2 and probably will continue to do so. I'm even enamoured of the "no save" aspect. I just can't justify shelling out for (or recommending to friends) a game that I won't end up playing due to the fact that I won't want to wait for turns to process. I figure Ilwinter deserves to know that.

[Nerfix]

I don't have any notable problems with turn processing, and when I get slow turn it's mostly thanks to having Ermor and Dreamlands R'lyeh on the same game.

Might be that I lived through Dom I turn processing speed where it could slow to the point the comp hang...

[WraithLord]

DominionsFan said:
Lads, some old users here should moderate themselves. I find some replies a bit too harsh. I think that there is a more intelligent way to discuss in this thread.

Well, I tend to agree, but as for myself I can attest that I felt somewhat offended by the general tone of his criticism. I think Unwise has analyzed it quite accurately. And again, I do agree its important to be patient and civil especially to new ppl on these forums.

Also, I really do like dominions the way it is and not being another warcraft clone.

[MythicalMino]

I remember a high profile game some years back....

This game had horrendous turn processing times. In fact, as far as I know, it was never fixed. And this game was made by a big company.

Guess which one it was?

Civ3. That game was so bad at turn processing, after each turn, I nearly had to reboot the pc due to memory leaks. I know when I stopped playing it a year or so later, it was still doing that....

So Dom3 really doesn't bother me at all....

[Foodstamp]

kimmitt said:
Yeah, my tone was a bit grumpy; I was disappointed by the demo for Dom3.

I agree that the map generation is probably not a big deal; it just shocked me with the 3 minutes it took to do so. But the turn processing time means that I just can't justify buying the game to myself. I spent more time watching turns process than playing them, and this on the first few turns of a 5-person game in the demo.

My machine's a 2 GHz with 768 MB of RAM; my graphics aren't the best, but my problem isn't with graphics processing.

Anyways, I played the heck out of Dom2 and probably will continue to do so. I'm even enamoured of the "no save" aspect. I just can't justify shelling out for (or recommending to friends) a game that I won't end up playing due to the fact that I won't want to wait for turns to process. I figure Ilwinter deserves to know that.

There is something else going on here. If it is taking a while for a 5 player game to process there is something wrong not related to the game. My system is a little better than yours, but not too much better to where I should get drastically superior turn load times, but I do.

Now in games with medium+ maps, 15+ AI players, I get anywhere from 2-5 minute load times which are frustrating.

@curtadams: I think even you would agree that "several second" turn load times is a bit of a stretch for the normal single player game.

[Unwise]

My system is a little better than yours, but not too much better to where I should get drastically superior turn load times, but I do.

Not necessarily. A 2GHz Intel (especially if it's a Celeron) might be struggling to process all the battles on even a modest map. There is a lot of data being crunched.

On the "Glory of Gods" map (a big one) with all Early Era races represented, I have seen processing times of about a minute and a half and I am running a fairly beefy rig.

[Foodstamp]

Yes, but a 5 player map in the demo? I think there is something else going on with his system.

[Ozymandias]

Cross posting the same article three times stinks of troll. It is a natural that many readers would want to flame kimmett just on that ground. I prefer to starve trolls, but here I am posting anyway.

[Archonsod]

kimmitt said:
1) Long times for map generation

To be honest, I can live with that. At least you only need to do it once at the start of the game.My only complaint regarding the map generation is the lack of options. Not that the maps it usually generates are bad, but it would be nice to be able to generate a land only map, or lower the ratio of mountains to plains and similar.

The same thing applies to the turn processing.

That's probably your system I think. I'm looking at less than a minute to process 10+ player games, and this isn't exactly a fast machine.

1) Pretender generation. This should all be one screen, simple as that.

Personal preference. I like the different screens. Besides, I'm not sure how you could fit all of the magic paths plus the dominion setup and the pretender choices onto one screen.

2) The map.

Again, your preference. I happen to like the map and the little arrow.

3) Menus in general

Haven't seen any problems there?

4) Various report options. Let me know how many x's I've killed or gotten killed.

Not something I would use, but it shouldn't be too hard to track. Would be interesting fluff for commanders and the like though - see just how many foes your hero has personally dispatched and the like.

Let me know how many people died in a siege or assault.

Agree there.

If a commander was killed in a battle, let me know which one.

I can see how this might be useful. Thing is, if it's a battle I didn't intend to view in which he was killed, I'm not likely to be expecting a commander to die, so I'll end up watching it anyway just to see how some pathetic independents or similar managed to take out one of my hero's.